Got cucumbers on hand and not sure what to do with them? It can be hard to use this entire vegetable while it’s fresh. Often, we’ll buy a cucumber with high hopes, only to still have it on hand at the end of the week. Does it work to throw it in the freezer? Here’s what to know.
Can you freeze cucumbers?
Freezing cucumbers destroys their crunchy texture and once defrosted, they become soggy. This is because cucumbers are 96% water, which expands while the cucumber freezes and changes its structure. Frozen thawed cucumbers shouldn’t be eaten raw, but they work in blended recipes like smoothies, juices, or cold soups. Avoid freezing cucumbers if you can help it, especially if you’re planning to eat them raw or in salads. Thawed cucumbers can work in recipes where they’re broken down like smoothies, juice, gazpacho, or even tzatziki if you blend or grate them before freezing. However, it may affect the texture of the end product, so proceed at your own risk. A better way to preserve cucumbers? Use them in cucumber salad or pickle them!
How to freeze cucumbers
A cucumber lasts about 1 week in the refrigerator in the produce bin. The best way to save a cucumber beyond that point? Try it in recipes like a batch of cucumber salad: the vinegar in the dressing preserves the cucumbers for up to 7 days. Or make refrigerator pickles to extend their life for up to 1 month! But if you don’t have time to make salad or pickles, you can freeze cucumbers! Again, only use them in blended recipes. Here’s how to freeze cucumbers:
Tips for how to use frozen cucumbers
Frozen cucumbers can be used right from the freezer in cooked dishes: no need to defrost! But if you’d like, you can defrost them overnight in the refrigerator. Here are a few tips:
Use frozen cucumbers only in cooked dishes, like smoothies, juice, and cold soups like gazpacho. Don’t use them raw in salads because the texture is soggier after freezing. Frozen cucumbers can be added right to blended dishes: no defrosting is required. Or, you can defrost the cucumbers by placing them in the refrigerator overnight. Use within 3 months. The flavor can degrade the longer it is frozen. For best results, use it within 3 months.
Ways to use raw cucumbers
In many cases, it’s easier to make a recipe with leftover cucumbers than to go to the trouble of freezing it. Here are a few of our top cucumber recipes for using up raw cucumber:
Go for Crunchy Cucumber Salad, Creamy Cucumber Salad or German Cucumber Salad, our favorite way to use up this veggieTry a Cucumber Smoothie or Cucumber Juice, made in a blenderMake a batch of Cucumber WaterMix up Cucumber SalsaMake classic Dill Pickles
Other freezing methods
Not sure whether you can throw things into the freezer? Here are a few more tutorials for preserving foods:
Try freezing veggies and fruits like broccoli, onions, cabbage, celery, green beans, zucchini, corn, potatoes, avocados, tomatoes, strawberries, peaches, blueberries or bananasLearn how to freeze dairy products, like cheese, milk, sour cream, ricotta, yogurt, butter, cream cheese, cottage cheese and mozzarellaGo for freezing rice, almond milk or coconut milk
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